Insect destroyer



March 26, 1929. I 1 PROKOP 1,706,541

INsEcT4 DESTROYER Filed June 25, 1928 Patented Mer. 26, 19,29. i'

JOHN rnoxor, or Bomann, Taxes.

iivsnofr nns'inorsn.V

Appiioetion yined June 25, 192s. serial No. 288,217.

\ This invention relatesV to insect destroyers.l There are certainclasses .of insects which attack plants principally at night and which,during thev day, hide under leaves, trash and otherV objects. .If boardsbe placedupon the ground adjacent the plants to be protected, theinsects will hide in large numbers under these boards and, if,"'when theboards vare raised, they can be quickly collected before they escape,practically all of them canbe destroyed. There-fore, it is the primaryobject of the present invention to provide animplementiwhicliwillquickly pierce and kill large numbers of theseinsects, and which may be readily and quicklyy cleanedof .the deadinsects, solv that the vwork of Iimpaling Vand destroying`additionalinsects may go forward .with dispatch. 1 l i.

Further objects and advantagesof the invention `will be set forth in thedetailed description 'which follows.

In the accompanying 'drawing Fig. l is a side elevation of an-insectdestroyer, constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, A

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view thereof, and f .Y n

Fig. 4 is an underside plan` view thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding .parts in all of the figures ofthe drawing.

The tool of the present invention embodies a gripping portion,consisting of two rela! tively movable parts. `One of these partsconsists of a bowed web 5,k and the other consists of a coil handle 6.lThe bowed mem? ber '5 beingplaced'in the palm ofthefhand, and thelingers being placed about the handle 6, it follows that a grippingaction of the hand will move these two members toward each other. Thebowed member 5 has downturned extremities 7 which, at their lower ends,are connected to a, preferably, rectangular plate 8. This plate has aweb'9 secured to its underface by bolts or like fastening devices 10.The web 9 is of some stiff, and tough material, such as leather, and

it carries a multiplicity of very sharp pins or prongs 11. These prongspassthrough openings 12, formed ina stripper platey 13.

`This stripper plate' is carried byvertical end pieces 14, tlie upperends of which are supported from the outery ends of a rod 15,which-constitutes a part of the lhandle 6.

The rod 15 passes through, and is guided in,

vertical slots 17 vof the do-wnturned lextremities 7, ofthe bowed member5. The rod -15 also ypasses lthrough vertical slots 1.7,

of `.vertical housings 18, which extend between thebowed member 5 andthe plate 8.

Springs 19,-in lsaid housings, bear upon the rod 15, and tend to thrustsaid rod and, con

sequently, the stripper plate 13, downwardly. It is clear that if, bygripping action, theb'ow 5 rand handle vare brought. together, againstthe tension of springs 19, the pins 11 will be projected to ,aconsiderable degree e beyond stripper plate, 13, and withthe parts inthis .gripped manner the tool may be used to rapidly pierce and collectlarge quantities of bugs, worms, or other insects which may havecollected under the boards. Since only oneyboardineed be lifted at atime, the insects undeiotherboards are not disturbed, and donot seek toescape duringff'the time thattheinsects under the lifted board are beingimpaled. When a suiiicient number of the insects have been collected .onthe pins the mere release ofthe handle 6, by the fingers, will 'permitthe springs 19 to act to.

thrust ythe stripper plate downwardly or outwardly with respect tothe-pins, thereby ldislodging ally of the insects which have beencollected up to that time. Then by again gripping `handle 6, the partslwill be restored to position to collect additional numbersv of theinsects. Since thel pins 11 are, inpr'actice, quite thin and sharp it isdesirable to provide vmeans independent of said pins for keeping theparts in proper alignment. 'To this end I provide, upon-the plate 8,guide studs 20, which pass through the"` stripperV plate 13, andmaintain the proper alignment of the parts during movement. I may, ifdesired, dispose a pieceof cloth, suchas a light cotton fabric'21, in

position to be pierced by the pins and, in that event, the cloth will beforced up on the pins as the bugs are impaled. Then,if the stripper.'does not completely eject the,v collected bugs, Il can secure theircomplete re- Inova-l by the act of stripping the cloth kfrom the pins. y

It is to beond'eraood diet the invention 1S not limited tothe preciseconstruction setA forth, but'that it includes within its purviewhwhatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit ofthe appended claims. Y 1

.f Having described my invention, what I claim is I handle elementconnected to the stripper plate, movement of said handle memberl bemgagainst the tension of said spring. y

2. A device of the character described,

comprising a member adapted to rest in theL palm of the hand,a handlelying in spaced relation thereto, downturned extensions at the outer`'ends 'of the said member, a plate at the lower-[ends 'ot saidextensions, a multivplicity of sharp pins carried by said plate, a

stripper plate through which said pins pass, means for connecting thestripper plate to said handle, and spring means tending to force thehandle. and stripper plate away from said first named member.

3, A device ot the character described, comprising a member adapted torest in the palm .of the hand, a handle lying in spaced relationthereto, downturned extensions at the outer ends of thesaid member, aplate at the lower ends ot said extensions, a multiplie;

strippei plate.

ity of sharp pins carried by said plate, a

stripper plate through which said pins pass, means for connecting thestripper plate to said handle, spring means tending to force the handleand stripper plate away from said first named member, and guidingmembers between the iirst named plate and the 4. A device of ythecharacter described,

comprising a member adapted to lie in theV palm of the hand, havingvertical extensions at its ends, and a plate at the lower ends of saidextensions, a multiplicity of sha-rp piercing pins carried by saidplate, a strip.-

. per plate through which said pins pass, up-

turned extensions carried bysaid stripper plate, a handle extendingbetween the upper ends of the extensions of tlre'stripper plate, andmovable in slots formed in the end extensions of the first named member,housings extending between the 'first named member and the first namedplatethrough which said handlepasses, and springs in said housingsacting upon the handle to thrust the stripperplate away from the firstnamed plate.

nature.

VJOHN riioioi?.A

In testimony whereof he allixes his sig-

